Reviews

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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ryanteston's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mark_kivimaki's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is clearly an earlier attempt by Fitzgerald at the themes that he famously covered in Gatsby. There is a lot of really beautiful prose in this book, but it drags towards the end and wraps up in a not all too satisfying way.

thewickedwitchofthemidwest's review against another edition

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3.0

When I first started reading this book my thought was, “interesting writing style, boring story.” When I’m finished I have come to the conclusion this was Fitzgerald’s point. It’s just a life portrait of a couple. In my opinion it’s no great literary work, but it is thought provoking. Watching the lives of the protagonists unfold throughout the story was what kept me interested. It had this blatant honestly which appealed to me and Fitzgerald probes into the inner beings of the characters. You can see how their story will progress from the beginning, but you still feel the tragedy when you come to the end.

wanderingghost12's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Not F. Scott's best work. The book is beautifully written and tells the poignant story of a marriage that probably shouldn't be. These characters are not very likeable but that's part of what drives the story. The characters make the book interesting, not the plot. The plot is painstakingly slow and tries to make me sympathize with people who have more money than I ever will for doing absolutely nothing, so in that it does not succeed.

jennaweston's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book was SLOW. I slogged through it. I think F. Scott Fitzgerald is digging into interesting questions of self-worth and motivation, but overall, it felt very indulgent to the point of being annoying.

What I liked

Interesting to dive into the psyche of turning 30
- quarter life crisis
Attempting to answer the question: Does generational money further your motivation to make more money, or take away that motivation?

What I didn’t like

it was SLOW
Gloria was insufferable…so was Anthony
- They were spoiled little brats / very lazy
The characters had no redeeming qualities
the writing was very posh and extravagant, very self-indulgent
Long, useless rants by the writer friend - Dick

Quotes

Summary

F. Scott Fitzgerald's second novel, which brilliantly satirizes a doomed and glamorous marriage, anticipated the master stroke--The Great Gatsby--that would follow, and marks a key moment in the writer's career. Would-be Jazz Age aristocrats Anthony and Gloria Patch embody the corrupt high society of 1920s New York: they are beautiful, shallow, pleasure-seeking, and vain. As presumptive heirs to a large fortune, they begin their married life by living well beyond their means. Their days are marked by endless drinking, dancing, luxury, and play. But when the expected inheritance is withheld, their lives become consumed with the pursuit of wealth, and their alliance begins to fall apart. Inspired in part by Fitzgerald's own tumultuous union with his wife Zelda, hauntingly rendered and keenly observed, these characters evoke a vivid portrait of a lost world: a city steeped in vice, a society without direction, and the rootless and decadent generation that inhabited it.

indigoivee's review against another edition

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3.0

A captivating exploration of the Jazz Age, delving into the lives of Anthony Patch and his wife, Gloria. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, Fitzgerald skillfully paints a portrait of excess, decadence, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

Following the tumultuous journey of Anthony and Gloria as they navigate a world filled with wealth, parties, and societal expectations. Fitzgerald's writing is exquisite, capturing the essence of the era with a poetic and introspective style. The characters are complex and flawed, reflecting the contradictions of their time.

Fitzgerald's keen observations on the emptiness beneath the glitzy exterior of the Jazz Age make "The Beautiful and Damned" a timeless exploration of human nature and the illusions of success. While not as celebrated as "The Great Gatsby," this novel deserves recognition for its portrayal of a society on the brink of change. However, I do prefer the latter.

Worth the read.

Favourite quote: “Of the things they possessed in common, greatest of all was their almost uncanny pull at each other’s hearts.”